What we believe

All children deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The CYSCB supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and seeks to ensure that all children within the City of York are protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, sexual abuse and harm caused by witnessing the ill treatment of another, and that their potential as human beings is maximised.

The CYSCB believes that in order to achieve these aims all agencies involved with children and their families must consider the welfare of children central to all their activities, and work closely with other agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children.

The CYSCB will promote public confidence in the child protection system by ensuring a proper balance is achieved between intrusion into family life and the necessary protection of children from harm.

The CYSCB believes that the welfare and protection of children is the responsibility of all citizens and will therefore promote the work of the Board to all those working with children and the public.

The CYSCB believes in the need to increase understanding of the nature of child abuse, through the raising of professional and public awareness as a means to reducing its incidence and effect.

The CYSCB will endeavour to develop and promote a learning culture which seeks to identify areas of vulnerability and learn lessons in order to pre-empt potential problems. When things do go wrong, attributing blame should be avoided; rather emphasis should be placed on developing a safe environment to promote evidence based learning.